Like a Kurosaki
by amba gurl
Summary: Ever wondered why Tsuna's favourite colour was orange? Of course, it has nothing to do with his favourite uncle's hair colour... Yuzu-is-Nana, Uncle!Ichigo
1. Chapter 1

**_A/N Hey! just a quick drabble about what-if Kurosaki Yuzu was Sawada Nana!_**

* * *

"Hey, kid."

Tsu-chan jumped and turned his head, startled at the sudden voice. Blinking , he stared at the strange man in front of him. Following the long, tall body up he passed the face with barely a glance and his eyes immediately stuck on _orange._

It was _bright,_ it was _fluffy,_ and it was _ORANGE!_

Tsu-chan's face split into a huge grin and he lifted a hand and pointed straight at the mop. "'ringe!" he squealed, bouncing as he beamed at the man. Startled giggles reached him and Tsu-chan glanced over at his Mama, who was laughed into her hand at the startled man. The boy grinned toothily at her. "Mama! 'ringe!"

"Oh, yes, Tsu-chan, it is orange!" giggling she came forward and patted the man on shoulder, ignoring the strange expression on his face. "Ah, nii-chan, I don't think he remembers you. Tsu-chan was just a baby when he last saw you." Still smiling, Yuzu came forward and sat down, drawing the boy into her arms. Tsu-chan went willing, happily latching onto his mother and starring curiously at the man. He was starting to get a little shy at the intense stare on the man's face, and tucked his face into Yuzu's shirt, peeking out at him.

"It's barely been a year, he used to love it when I visited," Ichigo huffed, reaching up and running his hand through his hair, ruffling it absently. He eyed the boy in his sister's arms, and felt a smile tugging at his lips. He reached over and fluffed the boy's hair. "Ah, Tsuna, I'm your Uncle Ichigo."

Tsu-chan blinked at him curiously. He knew that word! "A-ahncle?" he asked cautiously, caught off guard at the sudden touch, but liking the friendly nature.

"Bit of a mouthful for you, eh Tsu-chan?" Yuzu said, bouncing him to make him smile. She glanced at Ichigo and smiled cheerfully. "How about Ichi-nii, then?"

"Yeah, that works," the man said. Grinning, Ichigo held out a hand and said seriously, "I'm your Ichi-nii, Tsuna."

Tsu-chan eyed the hand then reached out and grabbed it, holding it tight and smiling shyly. "Tsu-chan's Ichi-nii!"

Ichigo barked out a startled laugh, grin widening. "Yep, your Ichi-nii."

* * *

 _She's sad_ , Tsuna thought, peeking around the door frame into the kitchen. His mother was at the stove, quietly stirring a large pot. She wasn't laughing, singing or humming, and Tsuna _hated it._

It always happened when his dad left.

 _Why did he have to leave?_

Frowning, the eight year old snuck away, trying to be quiet, but gasped as he tripped over his school shoes in the entranceway. Pouting, Tsuna staggered upright and raised his palms, frowning at his palms before brushing them off on his shirt. What could he do to make mama happy?

Tsuna crept up the stairs and into his room, quietly closing the door. The boy fell onto his bed with a huff, scowling at his pin board. It was covered with multiple postcards, most international. Strangely cute ones from his papa, sports from his aunt, iconic and weird ones from his uncle, and – strangely – baby pictures of his aunt, mum and uncle from his grandpa, who was barely two hours away. He'd seen Tsuna's collection and started yelling about how adorable his grandson was and wanting to join in on the post cards. Tsuna wrinkled his nose. His grandpa was so weird.

Sitting up, the boy stared at cards, eyeing in particular one of the photo-postcards of his mama, aunt and uncle when they were little. Sniffing, Tsuna blinked as he felt tears gathering in his eyes. _I want Ichi-nii…_

Making up his mind, slightly overcome with tears, Tsuna snuck out of the room and into his parents, aiming straight for the mobile on the bedside table. Swiping it, he crept back to his room and carefully shut the door, rubbing at his eyes. The boy climbed onto his bed and switched the phone on, quickly tapping the button with the green phone on it and studying the contacts. He couldn't read it very well, but he remembered his mama had put a picture next to each number to help him if there was an emergency. He scrolled down and tapped the picture of his uncle, barely able to see anything but orange through his tears. He quickly lifted the phone to his ear, listening to ring tone.

A quiet click preceded a sudden influx of screeching and yelling, and Tsuna jerked the phone away from his ear, startled.

" _SHUT UP YOU BASTARDS! YUZU's CALLING!"_

Tsuna blinked, tears frozen on his face at the bellow. It _sounded_ like Ichi-nii, but he'd never heard him yell like that before! Be bit his lip, scared at the loud voices.

" _Yuzu? You there-?"_

"A-ah! I-ichi-nii…?" Tsuna whispered, holding the phone closer.

" _Tsuna? Is that you?"_

"U-um, yes?"

" _Hey, kid, you alright?"_ surprise, then concern filled the voice, and Tsuna quietly revelled in the warmth and fondness that he could hear.

"I-ichi-nii -" Tsuna cut off, sniffling and feeling more tears spill down his cheeks.

" _Tsuna, I need you to calm down, okay? It's alright, just take a deep breath, that's right,"_ Ichigo's voice had taken on a firm, no nonsense tone, and Tsuna followed the order, gradually getting his breathing in order. _"That's good, Tsuna, very good. Keep breathing for me, okay?"_ Tsuna hiccupped, unconsciously nodding. _"Alright. Now, are you okay? Where's your mum?"_

"M'kay, Ichi-nii," Tsuna slurred, scrubbing at his face, whimpering softly at the raw red skin. He sniffed. "Papa left, now mama's sad," he whispered, clutching the phone tightly and pressing his face into his comforter.

There was silence, and Tsuna thought the other had hung up. _"That idiot."_ Tsuna felt a fresh batch of tears build up at the harsh voice, and his breath hitched. _"Ah, Tsuna, not you! I mean your dad. It's okay to be sad, kid. Did you need anything? Or just want to talk?"_

Tsuna paused, trying to think. "I need mama to be happy," he whispered. There was silence.

" _Tsuna."_

"Y-yeah?"

" _Your mom is happy. She's very happy. You know why?"_ there was a pause, and Tsuna made a curious sound, not noticing the slowing tears.

" _Because she has you. You make her happy, kid. She might be a little sad right now, but I know she loves you so very much. And that's the best kind of happy, okay?"_

Tsuna blinked, sitting up and feeling a sense of lightness in his chest. "…I make mama happy?"

" _Yes."_ It was a firm statement, and Tsuna felt a smile tilt his lips _. "Now, no more tears, alright?"_

"No more tears," Tsuna nodded, smiling. He could hear the grin in the voice when he heard a muttered _"that's right."_

" _Now, kiddo, tell me what you're doing in school right now."_ Grinning, Tsuna proceeded to tell his uncle all about his school, and how he really didn't understand math and _could he please help him when he came to visit next!_

The next day when Tsuna came home from school, he saw an extra pair of shoes in the entranceway. Eyeing the sneakers, he wondered who owned them, before his attention was caught by the happy laughter from the kitchen. Tsuna froze, then ran to the kitchen, staring in the door at his mother, who had a truly delighted smile.

And at the tall, serious man with bright orange hair seated across the table, exhaustion obvious but bright eyed and smiling at the woman.

"Ah, Tsu-kun! Guess what, your uncle came for a surprise visit," his mother announced brightly when she spotted him in the door, eyes wide and body frozen.

"Hey, kid," Ichigo said, a slight twitch of his lip indicating his amusement at Tsuna's shock. It was that which broke it.

" _Ichi-nii!"_

Laughing, Ichigo easily caught the boy when he launched himself at him, easily hauling the boy into his lap. Wrapping his long arms around him, Ichigo savoured the embrace, squeezing lightly when he felt the small trembling body. Tsuna eventually pulled back and stared into his uncle's face, eyes wide and confused. "I thought you were busy."

Ichigo raised a brow and eyed the boy. He snorted and flicked the brunette's forehead lightly, grinning at the squeak of surprise. "I'm never too busy for family, kid."

Tsuna stared at him, the grinned so brightly Ichigo felt like he was looking at the sun.

* * *

Twenty minutes to write an improvised presentation about who you most respect. The hell kind of assignment is this? Tsuna frowned down at the paper, desperately trying to think of something. Ugh, he didn't want to do this! He just wanted to finish class and get home. It was his Uncle's scheduled weekly phone call tonight, and he wanted to – wait! Tsuna froze, a sudden thought coming to him. A grin blossomed on his face, and Tsuna leaned forward and startled scribbling furiously.

"Sawada, your turn," the teacher said, startling the brunette. Blinking, the teen slowly stood and made his way to the front of the classroom. Turning to face the room the teen mentally prepared himself.

"Ah, good afternoon," he said, clenching the paper with his notes. Glancing at the teacher, who nodded at him expectantly Tsuna continued, glancing at the rough scribbles. "Um, the person who I most respect is my Uncle Ichigo. He's my mother's eldest brother-"

"Eh, Sawada, your uncle was named _strawberry?"_ called a voice, startling him and drawing out some laughs.

"Oi, shut up! No one interrupted _you!"_ Gokudera snapped, glaring at the student. As the class quieted, intimidated by the Italian, Gokudera turned back to him, eyes bright and focused, a direct contrast to the judging stares and sniggering students surrounding him. That focus redirected him to his paper, and Tsuna gave a slight smile as he continued.

"Uncle Ichigo's actually written as 'number one protector', not strawberry," he clarified. A sudden grin lit his face and he sniggered, startling the students, "If you call him strawberry he gets _really_ mad, and started lecturing everyone.

"But, back to the topic," he backtracked, looking apologetically at the teacher, "Uncle Ichigo is the eldest of three, and grew up in Karakura town. His dad, my grandpa, ran a clinic there. After high school my uncle studied to be a physician, and became a great surgeon and doctor by the time he was twenty five. He specialized mainly in trauma care and triage, since as he once told me he'd prefer to be protecting the immediate patients than long term. Instead of staying in Japan, he travels all over the world to help others. He was in Russia two years ago, and now he's in Switzerland at one of the hospitals studying and renewing his medical knowledge."

Smiling slightly in memory, Tsuna didn't notice the spellbound and curious gazes of the other students.

 _Who knew Dame-Tsuna was related to such a successful person!_ Was the general thought of many of the students.

 _Tenth! I knew your family was magnificent!_ Gokudera thought, beaming proudly at the other boy.

"Ah," Tsuna blinked, glancing back at his notes. "Um, in addition to that, Uncle speaks a lot of languages, most fluently in at lease the medical terms and such. He also sometimes teaches at a dojo in Karakura, since it's owned by a friend of his.

"So, uh, I guess the reason I most respect my Uncle Ichigo is because he's always done what he wants to, and what he believes is right. He's also never broken a promise and will always fight for his friends. One day I hope to be as great a man as my uncle is."

Finishing his speech, Tsuna jumped as he heard clapping, and glancing up he saw his friends applauding. Grinning, Tsuna bowed to the teacher and made his way to his desk, smiling shyly at the beaming grins from his guardians.

 _I've finally got something to protect, like you said I would. I understand now. I hope I make you proud, Ichi-nii._

* * *

 ** _A/N So what do you guys think? I honestly enjoyed writing this! Probably gonna make it into a drabble series ~ be great fun to see how everyone interacts! I reckon Isshin being all 'you hurt my cute grandson!' would be hilarious!_**


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N Um, hey? I can honestly say I wasn't expecting such a response... but here's the next chapter :)**_

 _ **PS = I did a doodle art of Ichigo and Tsuna! It's the DP for this story ~**_

 _ **Chapter: The First Kurosaki**_

* * *

It was a bad idea to take the bike, Ichigo decided as he swerved to miss _another_ idiot running through the street. _Should've brought the SUV, would've hit more of them,_ he thought irritably, growling under his breath as one of the suited men yelled after him.

It wasn't like he'd _actually_ hit that guy. More like… threatened to. Come on, he'd barely managed four hours sleep in the last two days, _no thanks to the goddamn idiot who wouldn't stop singing or trying to_ talk _to him –_

Okay, calm down – _goddamnit, ANOTHER GUY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD –_

Swerving sharply, Ichigo took a breath and let it out slowly, recognising the street he was on. _Yuzu's place is just around the corner. Not much longer, thank god. Idiocy must be in the air today._

 _Don't know why all the idiots are in suits though. Maybe they're politicians?_

Slowing down as he took the corner, he felt the tension in his shoulder's lessening as he took in the small, tidy house that came into view. Ignoring the presence of other idiots in suits standing across the road and down the street, Ichigo pulled off the road and slid to a halt on the path in front of the house. Kicking the stop down and turning off the engine, Ichigo reached up and pulled off his helmet, dumping it on his lap and digging his fingers into his scalp, ignoring his sweaty hair. Groaning as he rubbed at his temples, he ignored the sudden appearance of one of the men in suits.

"Excuse me, sir, but you cannot remain here. This residence is off limits," the man informed him, standing straight and eyeing the biker in old, battered denim jeans and leather jacket. Even with his professionalism he couldn't stop his eyes drifting to the neon bright orange hair, sticking out all over the place – definitely a street punk. Frowning slightly, he glanced back to the man's face and was startled at the hard, cold look he was met with.

Ichigo stared at the man, taking in his pressed black suit and sunglasses, even in the pale early morning light. Eyes narrowing, he snorted and stood, swinging his leg over the bike and standing. He took a little bit of smug pleasure at the extra inches he had on the man, before completely dismissing him and grabbing his bag and turning to the front path.

Only for the man to appear in front of him, blocking the way.

"Sir, I repeat, you cannot be here," the man's voice was firm, and his hand began to drift to his hip.

Ichigo sighed, irritation building at the annoyance. Grumbling internally, he decided to play along _,_ "Why?"

The abrupt question and unwavering stare made the man uncomfortable, but he answered promptly, hoping to get rid of the obviously stupid street punk. "This residence has been restrained to the Sawada family and their associates. You are not among those permitted entrance."

Ichigo's eyebrow rose, and stared at the man incredulously. "Not permitted? Like hell I'm not permitted," he snapped, unable to retain his patience – _it was too damn early and he was too tired to be bothered._

At the hostility, the man's stance firmed, and with a barely noticeable flick of his finger, other men began to make their way over. "Sir, I must insist that you leave. Now."

Eyes narrowing, Ichigo braced his shoulders and _glared_ at the man, feeling his fatigue and frustration bubbling up. "Look," he growled, "I just got off an 18 hour flight with _two_ unscheduled stopovers with the _most goddamn annoying people_ and drove _another two hours_ in this _goddamn freezing weather_ to this _bloody town_ , I'm _not_ in the _mood_ to _deal with your bullshit_. Now get out of my way and _let me into my sister's house_."

He hadn't raised his voice, had barely let out any killing intent, he didn't know what he'd done to deserve the sudden shocked look or blatant stupefied staring the man had given him. But he just didn't care anymore. Shoving past the man, he stormed up to the gate and made his way to the door.

" _He said his sister's house, did you hear -"_

" _That horrible glare!"_

" _He doesn't look like the Decimo…"_

" _Um, he's at the door, shouldn't we -?"_

"Hey, wait! You can't just go in!"

Ignoring the stuttered protests, Ichigo reached up and rang the bell, ignoring the growing group of men behind him. The sudden silence prompted him to glance back, and he raised a brow at the suddenly empty street. _Well they left quickly. Good riddance._

"Ciaossu."

* * *

 _ **A/N Oh I'm evil :) hehe I promise this won't be left a cliffhanger for long. I've decided that there's gonna be short arc for whatever interests me, in this case = Ichigo's introduction. Also, see if you can't guess why there's so many people in suits around :D**_

 _ **Actual Reborn/Ichigo interactions next chapter! Which will hopefully be out in the next day or three :)**_


	3. Chapter 3

**_A/N: Well, I did say the next few days... enjoy :)_**

 ** _Chapter: The First Kurosaki, Part 2_**

* * *

Ichigo stared down at the baby. Who had answered the door to his sister's house. Who was barely a foot tall and wearing a snazzy suit and fedora.

 _Wait.. snazzy…? The hell kinda stuff am I thinking? Ugh…_

The silence was building as the baby looked at him expectantly, completely composed and not even blinking. Ichigo blinked and tilted his head. "Your eyes are weird," he said bluntly.

"Really?" the baby tilted his head and looked at him curiously, purposely widening his eyes.

"Yes."

Pause.

"Will you get out of the way?" Ichigo was starting to get annoyed.

The baby blinked at him and smiled. Ichigo narrowed his eyes at the completely fake grin. The eyes didn't change, continuing to observe him. "My name is Reborn," the baby announced.

"Good for you. Now get," the man replied, hearing the irritation in his voice. _Ah well, it's not like Yuzu hasn't heard me angry before…_ Ichigo snapped out of his musing when he felt the light touch of what _felt_ like spiritual pressure _but didn't at the same time – what the hell –_

"You are being rather rude," the calm tone was in direct contrast to the fluctuating power permeating the air. A flash of green running from the baby's hat down to his hand caught Ichigo's eye, and he unconsciously straightened and loosened his shoulders. His eyes drooped to half-mast and he re-considered the obstacle in the door way.

In his _sister's_ doorway.

"When someone introduces oneself, it is only polite to respond in kind," the baby's voice was smooth, calm, almost chiding. Like he had the seniority, and Ichigo was a child in need of discipline and education. _How irritating._ Ichigo grunted and continued examining the baby.

Reborn's eyes narrowed and the presence _sharpened –_

"You can stop with the power trip," Ichigo interrupted, stifling a yawn against the back of his hand. He frowned down at Reborn, annoyed at the baby's continued presence. "Look, I don't care why you're here. But I'm really goddamn sick and tired of all these people who think they have any say in my business."

"Business?" Reborn queried, before his tone turned slightly probing and somehow slyer, "Was someone annoying you? Where are they now?"

"What's it to you?" He said grumpily, eyes narrowed at the sudden curiosity, noting the sudden appearance of a gun in the baby's hand. It was bright green… not a toy though, not with how much power was practically oozing out of the thing. _Not to mention that pacifier…_

Reborn hummed, before suddenly dropping his guard and swinging the door wide open. "Come on in, Kurosaki-san," the baby said with a bright grin, "Mamma is in the kitchen."

Ichigo blinked, wrong-footed at the sudden change in personality. Shaking his head, the man shrugged his bag higher on his shoulder and made his way into the house. Pausing in the doorway, he looked down at Reborn with dark, cold eyes. "You're a weird kid," he said slowly, gaze travelling over him before meeting his eyes. Reborn tilted his head and smiled cutely, the gesture barely drawing away from the cool, calculating gaze he was returning.

"Ah, well I am the world's strongest hitman, you know," Reborn informed him calmly, taking in his reaction – or rather, lack-there-of as Ichigo merely blinked at him.

"If you say so," Ichigo shrugged, before dismissing the boy and kicking off his shoes in the shoe caddy. Raising his voice he yelled out, "Oi, Yuzu! You home?" ignoring the curious eyes on his back the man wandered further into the house.

* * *

"Nii-chan? Is that you? Ah, you're early!" came the response to the yell, and Reborn missed the grumbled response as the man entered the kitchen. Watching him as he walked, the hitman noted the loose, rolling gait and the calm way in which the man took in his surroundings without seeming to.

Definitely a fighter. Possibly with some familiarity to flames, if his comment on 'power play' was an indication he had been aware of Reborn's mild killing intent… or if he was just too dense to pick it up. After all, the Vongola intuition was from the Sawada side, not the Kurosaki…

All in all the danger level for the family was quite low, but it was well known that Yuzu's family was not close to the Sawada's, or at least to Iemitsu… So whether this Ichigo would be a welcome boon or an unwanted hindrance would remain to be seen. And he would deal with it if it came to pass.

Ah, it would be interesting to see how this would play out. Reborn felt a sinister grin touch his lips and restrained himself from laughing.

 _Kurosaki Ichigo._ _I had wondered when you would turn up._

* * *

 ** _A/N: Well, there it is. Their first introduction. I apologise if anyone was wanting fireworks and massive fights and dramas... not my style..._**

 ** _BUT there is still more to come! I just find sitting down and writing shorter chapters is more fun for me. Hope you liked :)_**

 ** _PSSS_**

 ** _\- Someone asked what arc I was using for the BLEACH characters, and in response I'm just gonna say there's isn't going to be much depth explored in that world initially (note I say INITIALLY), so I'm using them as sort of generalised characters - meaning wherever you are in the manga/anime of either you can read this :)_**

 ** _\- So, I probably won't have much spoilers and I may fudge canon quite a bit (come on, its a crossover on fanfiction... not exactly canon)._**

 ** _\- Also I doubt I'll have Ichigo paired with anyone, I have a chapter way ahead in the distant future that may have some allusions to a personal favourite pairing of mine, but you'll have to see._**

 ** _Hope that answers questions! Ask anything else you'd like me to talk about :)_**


	4. Chapter 4

**_A/N Hey guys! sorry it's been so long. So, in order of terribleness, I've been: sick with a viral infection, working clinical hours in a surgical ward, and doing full time university on top of that since I graduate in a few months. Fun times!_**

 ** _Anyway, here's the next chapter!_**

* * *

Yuzu hummed softly as she got ready for the day, mentally running through the list of things she had planned. A smile brightened her face as she noted how full her schedule was, and how many people she would be making breakfast for. It was so nice to have a full house! The only times she ever got to cook so much was when her family had their get-togethers every year, and even then it was rarely more than a week at the longest.

It was so nice to have so many guests!

 _It's definitely good for Tsu-kun,_ she thought decisively, happy at how many friends her little boy now had. It was wonderful that others could see how amazing he was, especially people his own age. All of her family's friends doted on him… but he definitely needed his own friends.

 _He smiles so much more these days. He hasn't been this happy since he was little._

Just as she was setting out the breakfast spread, Yuzu heard someone come into the room and caught a flash of blonde from the corner of her eye that accompanied the soothing, cheery feel of the young man's aura.

"Good morning, Dino-kun," Yuzu called, wandering back into the kitchen to put on some coffee. She smiled mischievously at the startled sound that escaped the boy. _He was definitely still a boy, barely older than her Tsu-kun._

"Ah, good morning Yuzu-san," he said, smiling at her bashfully as he sat down.

"You know you can call me Mama, Dino-kun," Yuzu scolded him cheerfully, settling a plate in front of him and smiling as he helped himself to the breakfast. Very messily.

"Of course, Yuzu-san," he bowed his head and shot her a bright smile. Yuzu laughed brightly, giving up on the matter. Boys will be boys after all, she mused with a smile at the youth.

The quiet tread of someone coming slowly down the stairs drew her attention and she smiled brightly at the brown mop of hair that came into view. She hummed as she felt the warm balm of her son meet her own, before frowning slightly at how it seemed almost… _diminished._

Her concern rose as she saw the flat, depressed slope to her baby boy's face, and immediately knew that something was very wrong. But she put a bright smile on her face.

"Good morning, Tsu-kun," her son looked up slightly at her less than exuberant greeting and found his mother giving him a soft, gentle, _loving_ smile and felt his lips tilt up in response.

"Morning, kaa-san," he said softly, drawing out a chair and sitting down.

Before she had the chance to more than greet Tsuna Dino was calling out to him, and they fell into a conversation. Of Dino talking and her Tsu-kun nodding along.

Yuzu turned around and set up the rest of the breakfast, expecting the quiet of the morning to soon disappear at the sound of running footsteps on the steps. That'd be Lambo-kun and Ippin-chan. She'd have to see how her boy was later, she decided, making a note that she had to tell him that his uncle was coming sometime today. She just knew he'd cheer up when he heard that!

She nodded decisively, quickly running her hand over Tsuna's hair when she went past him, smiling at his startled glance before dishing up food for the new arrivals.

* * *

"…and then I asked Romario what he would do, and he said…"

"Mhmm."

"…but then, Luchi told me about this one time years ago…"

Humming softly, Tsuna looked away from the cheery blonde, not paying mch attention to his ranting. _I'm not entirely sure what he's even talking about anyway…_

It wasn't like he was here for him, anyway. He was here because of Reborn, and Vongola. Not Tsuna.

The teenager sighed and linked his hands behind his head, glancing up at the bright blue sky wistfully. He just didn't get why he was so damn _down_ today…

 _Maybe it's because none of your 'family' has talked to you in ages,_ whispered a snide voice in his head.

Tsuna frowned slightly, trying to ignore it. _Is not._

 _I mean, it's not like they need you or anything._ The voice continued ruthlessly, _Especially not since you're going to be a_ criminal. _You know how_ he _feels about that._

 _Ichi-nii wouldn't care,_ Tsuna thought fiercely, before drooping slightly. _But he really hates criminals…_

 _And you know what happens to criminals around him. Worse than Hibari._

… _that's right._ Tsuna thought with startling clarity. _If I'm a criminal, and he hates them…_

… _what's he going to think of me?_

 _Exactly._

Tsuna slumped, his hands dropping and he fixed his gaze to the ground, not noticing the suddenly quiet blonde. If he had he might have seen the calculating gaze in Dino's eyes, or the slight worried tilt to his lips. The blonde boss started to reach out a cautious hand, but stopped at the instinctive cringe the teen responded with, not seeming to notice he'd withdrawn from his self-proclaimed big brother.

Dino frowned slightly, before quietly following the boy down the path towards the school, hoping the teenager would cheer up. He didn't like seeing him so down.

* * *

Reborn frowned down at his espresso, contemplating his student. It was only normal for teenagers to have mood swings, but Tsuna had gone from happy to downright depressed overnight. His frown deepened.

It wasn't right. Only he could make his student that damn sad looking, and only after a very long, hard tutoring session. But he'd actually been going easier on the brat the past few days since he'd looked genuinely _sad._ It was like kicking a freaking _puppy_ with that face he pulled. He hadn't even got much enjoyment from kicking the kid awake that morning! All he'd done was cough and whimper!

Sighing softly Reborn sipped at his drink, humming at the delicious taste. He glanced up at the unusually quiet Yuzu, wondering at the change in her demeanour. Seems it was catching.

Must be a Sawada thing, he thought, dismissing it from his mind for the moment. It was espresso time.

* * *

 _ **A/N So, I really want to just cuddle Tsuna. Seriously, he's been dumped in all this shit, and in cannon all he has is his mum since his dad is kind've a dick. Just saying. But yeah, it may seem filler but it's actually really important to the next few chapters. Mainly because I am an absolute sucker for fluff fics. and this is definitely a self-indulgent fluff fic. So if you guys want action/smut/romance/ect. you're not gonna get it here, at least not for a while.**_

 _ **But anyway, hope you enjoyed it! Send me any little prompts that you've got rolling around your little brains and I'll see if I can put it in!**_

 _ **PS. Also, I'm probably going to be putting in a few little stand alone one-shots at different times. So they won't be a serious part of the arc I'm writing now. But yeah, that's all folks!**_


	5. Chapter 5

**_A/N:_** ** _Hey guys! I'm sorry about the long wait, but in all honesty this stuff really comes second to my horribly complicated life right now. I've finally got most of my things completed for graduation, but unfortunately I'm a terrible, horrible planner and this was put on the back burner. Enjoy though!_**

* * *

Tilting his head with his sideburns bouncing cutely, Reborn surveyed the _apparently empty_ street, and shook his head in mock disappointment, tutting at the hidden forms of the Cavalone men. He kept back his smirk at the palpable drop in temperature from the _terrified_ Mafioso. Ah, to be rightfully feared. Turning and entering the house the baby hitman closed the door and felt his smirk emerged, spreading across his face in a more sinister way than should have been possible for his cherubic features. He could practically _feel_ the idiotic henchmen practically passing out from thinking he'd overlooked their incompetence. _Looks like it's not just Dino that needs remedial training._

Putting aside his wayward disgraceful student, Reborn turned his attention to the newly arrived family of his _other_ student. The fluffy one.

 _Definitely a relation, just look at that ridiculously spiky – but, if it's the same, rather fluffy and comfortable – hair. The Kurosaki side of the family is definitely where Tsuna gets his looks from, thank god,_ the hitman mused. He didn't think he would have been capable of dealing with an Iemitsu clone. _He'd probably end up shooting him just for looking like his father… or maybe permanently damaging his face…_

 _Ah, poor Mama has to deal with such a pathetic husband. She really deserves so much better than that absentee idiot._ Reborn frowned slightly at the touching family concern before him, further cursing Iemitsu in his head. He narrowed his eyes and inspected Ichigo thoughtfully. The clear concern for his sister was a definite positive, but did it extend to Tsuna? It would be quite beneficial for the boy to have a loving family structure, even if they weren't _directly_ involved in the family.

Listening in to the conversation in the kitchen, he noted that Yuzu was probing her brother for snippets and anecdotes of what he'd been up to in between chattering on about her son and his friends, with Ichigo acting coy and dodging her questions.

A sly smirk touched the baby's face as he wondered what the Kurosaki man would think of being described as _coy._

* * *

It was coming on to two in the afternoon when Yuzu turned to the clock and announced it was time for her to start dinner, and Ichigo was banished to the breakfast island. He went with minimal fuss, happily accepting the spiced tea Yuzu placed in front of him and cradling it in his hands, lazily slumped on the stool. He watched his little sister clear away the plates from their lunch and begin laying out a _lot_ of food, and he guessed they were going to be expecting a few guests. _Maybe more than a few,_ he thought, not looking at the weird baby that had been watching them off and on since he'd arrived. Seriously, it was dressed as a _pot plant._ He wasn't _that stupid! S_ o unless the weird as hell kid brought it up he wasn't going to acknowledge them.

Ichigo slouched further against the bench, turning his mind away from the kid. He sighed, feeling his remaining tension flowing from his body. There was just something so calming and relaxing about watching Yuzu cooking, Ichigo mused, following his sister's movements in the kitchen. She was definitely in her element, multiple pots bubbling away on the stove next to a bench covered in chopping boards and ingredients. He felt a smile touch his lips at her humming and soft recitations of recipes.

Nostalgia was an odd feeling. Good, but definitely odd. He took a deep, appreciative whiff of the scents filling the kitchen, picking out the herbs and spices unique to Yuzu's kitchen. Ah, he'd definitely missed her cooking.

"- Nii-chan?"

Ichigo jolted, looking up at Yuzu blankly. Had she asked him something…? Yeah, she was giggling at him, so obviously he'd zoned out. He sighed and gave her his full attention. "Sorry, Yuzu, I didn't hear you."

"It's okay, nii-chan," Yuzu waved the hand grasping a cooking ladle dismissively, smiling at her brother. She turned and quickly stirred the biggest pot as it began to bubble, leaning forward to inspect it before humming softly and placing the lid on and turning down the heat.

"I was just saying that I was a bit worried about Tsuna," she said softly, "He's been a bit… subdued, I think, the past little while. I was so happy that he had finally found some friends! And he seemed happy as well, as though he was finally showing everyone how wonderful he really is –" Yuzu gasped softly, lifting her hand to cover her trembling lips and closed her eyes, hoping to keep her itchy eyes from becoming teary. _Not in front of big brother…_

Yuzu tensed as she heard the scrape of chair legs on the floor before a large hand reached out and took her elbow, guided her around and she was suddenly enveloped by a much larger, definitively male body. She felt the warmth and tenderness mixed with almost fierce protectiveness that was simply unique to her brother, and the innate familiarity of the gesture – one that would have shocked many of Ichigo's acquaintances – led to her relaxing into him, cuddling close and savouring the embrace. _How long has it been since someone hugged me like this…?_

"Ah, Yuzu, you're still such a troublesome little sister," came the soft voice, and Yuzu hiccupped a laugh, annoyed at the traitorous wetness she felt gathering in her eyes. She discretely reached up and quickly swiped her face, leaning back into Ichigo and sighing at his comforting squeeze. "You okay, then?" Ichigo asked, tilting his head to meet her eye. He was really such a softy, she thought, then giggled as he jostled her, giving a mock scowl at the laugh. Pulling back slightly Yuzu smiled softly up at him, easily picking out the worry and concern in Ichigo's brown eyes. The same brown as her baby boy's.

"I'm okay, nii-chan," she said, giving him a gentle smile and patting his arm. She pulled away and sighed when he merely leaned back against the countertop, keeping his eyes on her. She turned back to the cooking, tossing some scraps into a bowl to clear space. Ichigo hummed behind her, and a tiny smile touched her lips. She sighed in mock exasperation, throwing a pout at him over her shoulder. "I was just a little sad, since Tsuna seems sad and I'm not sure what to do about it. He doesn't really talk to me anymore."

"Of course he doesn't," Ichigo grumbled, then rolled his eyes, "he's fifteen, sis, he's not going to want to tell you everything." He reached up and ruffled his hair, adding at her hopeful look, "But I can talk to him if it makes you feel better."

"Un!" Yuzu beamed at Ichigo, and ignored his sheepish smile at her delight over what he perceived as such a small thing. They fell into peaceful silence as she continued to cook and Ichigo returned to his seat, comfortable enough with each other to not need to speak to fill the silence.

* * *

School had been terrible, even with the distinct lack of Reborn stalking him – that only meant that he'd been either distracted by something potentially 'interesting' or was plotting something that would lead to pain, mainly for Tsuna. Ugh, crazy sadistic _bastard_ of a 'tutor'. Tsuna didn't know how much longer he could bare being around the condensed feelings of sadistic glee and bloodlust that followed the baby like a thundercloud. And all of the fake friends that'd followed along behind the Italian like perfectly placed duckies.

 _Since it's obvious none of them really want what's best for you._

 _Yeah, they still call you 'Dame' and useless and no-good, so it's obviously not you they like. Gotta be the baby._

 _Pathetic of you for ever thinking differently, dame-Tsuna._

Tsuna felt his shoulder hunch even tighter, and he twitched and sped up his pace, resolutely keeping his gaze on the ground and grateful for the moderate downpour that was flattening his hair a bit. He'd managed to avoid most of his self-proclaimed friends and dodged the persistent bullies that continued to make his days hell, even with his publicised friendship with some of the scariest people in the school.

Publicised. Fake. A show.

 _Yeah, that's probably the best way to describe it,_ he thought morosely, frowning as he tripped over a puddle. _Not good for the Vongola Don to be a useless bullied loner with no acquaintances, let alone friends that can actually stand me let alone actually enjoy my company._ Tsuna could feel his already low mood plummet, and scowled at the wet path, not watching where he was going. It's not like it actually mattered right now.

No one else knew where he was, the only person that might wasn't even in the country now.

And even if he was around, it's not like his uncle would even care about him once he learned the truth.

That Tsuna was already a criminal, and definitely not worth anything to anyone anymore.

* * *

 ** _A/N:_** ** _So, what do you guys think? this is a bit of a fluffy feel-good chapter but yeah. Deal with it, bro! Hopefully have the next chapter, and probably the final one in this arc (mini-arc?) up in a few days to a week. But no promises. I'm allergic to them._**

 ** _Definitely highlighting some of the actually horrible interactions between characters in this fandom, as I dislike bullies with a great passion, and_** ** _I will admit, a part of Tsuna's sudden increased angst in comparison to the last few chapters is directly related to some of my harder times the past few months. And since I'm better now you can know that Tsuna will definitely be feeling better next chapter :)_**

 ** _Thanks for reading! And the reviews were lovely :)_**


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